Megaship MSC Beatrice arrives in the Port of Long Beach

The largest container ship to visit North America docked Sunday at the Port of Long Beach.

The MSC Beatrice - at 1,200 feet long, 167 feet wide and capable of carrying 13,798 container units - docked in the early morning at Long Beach's Pier T on Terminal Island. PHOTOS

The ship is the latest of the larger breed of vessels that have been arriving at the port this year.

"The new ships are bigger and greener, and we're pleased to be able to accommodate these vessels at the Port of Long Beach," said Port Executive Director J. Christopher Lytle. "We're among the few ports that are 'big ship ready,' and that means that we can continue to bring cargo to Long Beach in the most sustainable way possible."

Until this year, the largest container ships serving North America had capacities of about 10,000 "TEUs," or twenty-foot equivalent units. Ships carrying up to 12,500 TEUs began calling at the Port of Long Beach early this year, proving the Port's ability to handle these megaships. Port officials say the distinction is important for a seaport, because the trend in the shipping industry is to build larger and larger ships.

The larger ships are more efficient and greener - the bigger loads mean less fuel is expended per container. However, few ports in the world have navigation channels deep enough to handle these massive ships.

The Port of Long Beach's main channel is 76 feet deep, the deepest in North America, according to port officials.

Built in South Korea in 2009 and operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Co. of Switzerland, the Beatrice is the latest of the new generation of big container ships to be put into service on U.S.-Asia trade routes. It is on the way to Long Beach from Yantian, China, and is due to depart Long Beach on Wednesday for the Port of Oakland.